Tonight, tonight…

I’m not one to watch the World Series. Or the Superbowl, or the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, March Madness or even the NCAA bowl games. I don’t hate sports, I just don’t have time for them. There is just so much more I should be doing.

So it’s most definitely my family’s fault that we’re watching the World Series. My kids found out about it and got curious. And so we’ve been following the series ever since Game Three. And, for reason I’m not sure of, we’re Cubs fans. Not that I mind. They seem like a good bunch of guys. And Anthony Rizzo, who I posted about last week, is on the team–and doing well! From what I can tell he’s certainly been doing his part to keep the Cubs in this.

I can at least find comfort in knowing we’re not entirely “fair weather” fans. We started cheering for the Cubs in Game Three, which they lost, and continued to cheer for them as they went to the brink of elimination. I can sympathize with long-time fans–being a Cubs fan is not easy. I make no claim at understanding your pain, but I do hope this year brings redemption.

I’m still mostly invested because of my family. With the two teams with the longest Championship droughts in history in contention I can’t help but feel good for whomever wins. And Cleveland has certainly been playing some good ball. I wouldn’t begrudge them a win tonight. But I do have a little more invested in the Cubs after watching them for four games.

I do enjoy watching baseball. It’s a wild-and-wooly game sometimes–it ain’t over ’til it’s over. Take last night’s Game Six. I was quite certain the Cubs were going to go scoreless after the first two batters were retired in short order. Then Bryant belted a solo homer, which was cool, but with two outs already, it surely couldn’t go any farther than that. Rizzo and Zobrist then proceeded to get one base, bringing Russell to the plate. He hit a fly ball to right-center that was certain to be an out–and end of the Cubs’ at-bat. Instead the two fielders miscommunicated and the ball dropped between them. A long throw to home was just a little too far off target to keep the second runner from scoring. That one error and resulting runs may have cost Cleveland the game, both in the early deficit they faced and the hit to their team morale.

Considering how the momentum has shifted so wildly over this series, anything can happen tonight. I’m just hoping for a good game. I’d hate to see either team come this far only to get steamrolled in the last game.

And if the Cubs win it, that’d be cool. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing the “Curse of the Goat” end with me watching.